The eight games below share one trait: their powers follow rules a player can learn, test, and plan around. The list is Magicka, Control, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Noita, Tyranny, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Prey, and Dishonored. Most of them are not conventional spellcasting games. Several use physics, object construction, or elemental simulation, and they are included because those systems behave like magic in the way Brandon Sanderson’s writing advice describes.
What Sanderson’s laws actually say
Brandon Sanderson’s writing guidance is usually summarized as three laws about magic in fiction. His official FAQ states them as follows:
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- First Law: “An author’s ability to solve conflict with magic is DIRECTLY PROPORTIONAL to how well the reader understands said magic.”
- Second Law: “Limitations > Powers”
- Third Law: “Expand what you already have before you add something new.”
Sanderson presents these as his own theories and guidelines, not rules every work of fiction must follow. He has said authors can break them and still write good books. This article uses them as a lens for judging game systems. It does not mean Sanderson has reviewed or endorsed any of the games below, and the “would be proud” framing is an editorial comparison, not a verdict from him.
Do these 3 things before closing this tab:
1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsHow to tell whether a magic system is learnable
Four questions separate a system players can master from one that only looks deep:
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- Can the player learn it? The rules should be visible through play, not hidden in tooltips a player never reads.
- Are effects consistent enough to predict? The same input should produce the same kind of result.
- What limits the power? Energy pools, cooldowns, material costs, or risk all give players something to weigh.
- Do known parts combine into new results? Depth comes from combinations the player discovers, not from a long list of unrelated abilities.
A fifth question, whether the world responds to how power is used, separates these games further. These four questions and the fifth are an editorial framework drawn from Sanderson’s guidance. They are not a formal scoring method, and the eight games are not ranked against each other.
The eight games
1. Magicka
Magicka’s wizards combine elements to cast spells. According to the list’s description, the eight elements combine in ways that have consistent effects, including friendly fire. Because outcomes repeat, experimentation becomes a way of learning the system, and a player who understands the combinations can predict what a cast will do before it happens. The cost of getting it wrong is that the spell can hit your own party.
2. Control
Control’s Jesse Faden uses supernatural powers that run on a resource system: an energy pool, cooldowns, and upgrades that change what each power can do. The list’s point is that these costs are visible. A player can plan a fight around how much energy remains and which ability is ready, which turns the power system into a set of constraints to manage rather than a menu of unlimited options.
Rank #2
3. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
Tears of the Kingdom is the one entry here that is not about magic in the usual sense. Its appeal, as the list frames it, is that Ultrahand and Fuse follow predictable rules for object interaction. Attaching an object to an arrow changes how the arrow behaves, and components can be assembled into working devices. The “magic” is the consistency of physical-style interaction: once a player understands how parts attach and combine, new solutions follow from known rules. Confirm the current platform and edition on the retailer listing before buying.
4. Noita
Noita simulates a world where materials react according to fixed rules, and the wands that cast spells can combine into hazardous effects. The list argues that the enjoyment comes from predicting how materials and spells will interact before committing to a cast. Because the simulation is the rulebook, a player who learns how fire, liquids, and spell effects behave can turn a dangerous situation into an advantage.
5. Tyranny
Tyranny builds spells from sigils. A core sigil sets the base effect, and modifying sigils change how that effect is expressed. The list presents the stable meaning of each component as the system’s learnable logic: once a player knows what a sigil does, combining it with other sigils becomes a matter of reasoning rather than trial and error.
Rank #3
- Release Date: Nov 12, 2024
- Age Range: 14 Years & Up
- Target Audience: Kids
- Weight: 2.291 lbs
- Produced with the highest grade materials
6. Divinity: Original Sin 2
Divinity: Original Sin 2 treats the environment as part of the combat system. The list’s examples include fire spreading across oil and water interacting with electricity. Because surfaces and elements follow consistent interactions, a player can anticipate how a battlefield will change and use it deliberately.
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7. Prey
In Prey, the list describes scanning Typhon with a Psychoscope to acquire abilities, and it links heavy use of alien powers to a hostile response from the station. The exact triggers and consequences are the part most worth checking in the game’s own material, since the list describes them only in general terms. What it establishes is that the power system carries a cost in the game world, not just in the ability meter.
8. Dishonored
Corvo’s supernatural abilities come from the Outsider, and the list ties player actions to a Chaos system whose effects appear later in the game. The comparison it makes is that Dishonored treats power as consequential: how you use an ability shapes how the world responds to you, not only whether the ability succeeds.
Rank #4
- EMBARK ON EPIC ADVENTURES: Compete for the coveted Crown of Command in a magical realm! This Talisman: The Magical Quest Game, 5th Edition offers a thrilling experience, combining strategy and luck
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- 12 DETAILED CHARACTER FIGURES: Play as one of 12 powerful characters, including a Prophetess, Wizard, and Thief. Includes 12 Character figures and matching cards that reveal a character’s unique ability
- FIND THE TALISMAN: Set forth on a dangerous journey—race to be the first to acquire a Talisman, reach the Crown of Command, and vanquish its guardian dragon to win
- TRAVEL THROUGH A MAGICAL LAND: The generously sized board depicts the land of Talisman, 3 regions of enchanted locations. The board changes as players layer on Adventure cards with more places to encounter
How the eight compare
| Game | Learnable core | Limits or costs | Combination depth | World consequences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Magicka | Eight elements with consistent effects | Not stated in the list’s description | Element combinations | Friendly fire |
| Control | Power abilities with visible costs | Energy pool and cooldowns | Not stated in the list’s description | Not stated in the list’s description |
| Tears of the Kingdom | Ultrahand and Fuse object rules | Not stated in the list’s description | Assembling components into devices | Not stated in the list’s description |
| Noita | Material simulation rules | Not stated in the list’s description | Wand spell combinations | Hazardous material and spell reactions |
| Tyranny | Core sigil and modifying sigils | Not stated in the list’s description | Sigil combinations | Not stated in the list’s description |
| Divinity: Original Sin 2 | Elemental surface interactions | Not stated in the list’s description | Elements interacting with terrain | Environmental effects on combat |
| Prey | Scanned alien abilities | Station response to heavy use | Not stated in the list’s description | Hostile station response |
| Dishonored | Outsider-granted powers | Chaos system | Not stated in the list’s description | Later consequences tied to Chaos |
The table reflects what the list describes, not a complete rules audit. A blank-looking cell means the list did not address that axis, and it should not be read as the game lacking the feature.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.A note for Mistborn fans
Sanderson’s Mistborn series has inspired game projects, but none of the eight games above is a Mistborn game. In 2012, Sanderson described a planned Mistborn game in these terms: “In short, we’re hoping to do a fun, fast-paced, action game with some RPG elements, cool Allomancy effects, and some (hopefully) killer dialogue.” A 2025 GamesRadar report said that project had been canceled and that later Mistborn game discussions were at the pitching stage. Nothing here means a new Mistborn game has shipped or is available to buy.
For readers who want Sanderson-style rules in a tabletop format, the official Cosmere RPG is a d20-based game, sold through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and local game stores. It is an additional tabletop suggestion, not one of the eight video games.
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Choosing among them
If you want rules you can work out through repeated play, start with Magicka or Noita, where the combinations and simulations reward experimentation. If you prefer building solutions from parts, Tears of the Kingdom is the closest fit even though it is not conventional magic. Readers more interested in consequences than combinations may prefer Dishonored or Prey, where the world tracks how you use your powers.
Before buying any of these, check the current platform, edition, and price on the retailer’s listing, since availability can change.
Descriptions of each game’s mechanics follow the list’s own write-up. For exact rules that affect a decision, check the developer’s official material or in-game tutorials.
Quick Recap
Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
